AlgoBharat initiates second edition of ‘Road to Impact’ initiative in India
AlgoBharat, the Indian arm of Singapore-based blockchain company Algorand Foundation, is all set to launch the second edition of its Web3-focused initiative in India. Called ‘Road to Impact’, the program aims to engage Web3 developers and startup teams to compete and get mentorship and industry-level workshops. This engagement with India’s Web3 talent, according to AlgoBharat, is aimed at upgrading India’s digital infrastructure. The first edition of the initiative was launched in 2023.
Nikhil Varma, India Tech Lead at Algorand Foundation, revealed that cities like Surat and Trivandrum are becoming important hubs for developers creating blockchain solutions tailored to local industries. According to Varma, Indian developers are exploring a range of use cases, with a strong focus on supply chain management, sustainability, healthcare and MSME financing.
“The Road to Impact initiative is based on a philosophy of deep, sustained engagement to help developers grow their skills and bring them to market,” the company said in its statement.
Participants in this program compete for financial rewards and ALGO credits for mainnet deployment support. The first prize reward is $10,000 (approximately Rs. 8.3 lakh) and 2,000 Algos in mainnet credits, information on the website showed.
In the second iteration of Road to Impact, AlgoBharat has decided to add a ‘developer track’ to upskill developers and commercialize their knowledge to meet the demand of Web3 creators across the globe. The top ten winners of the developer track initiative will win cash prizes, with a maximum prize of $1,000 (approximately Rs. 8.3 lakh) and 100 algos as credits for mainnnet deployment support.
“Studies show that India’s pool of blockchain developers has grown from three percent in 2018 to 12 percent last year. With an aim to build an ecosystem for scalable, sustainable, real-world blockchain solutions, the AlgoBharat Road to Impact aligns with India’s vision 2047 to foster a digitally empowered society, drive economic growth, address societal challenges, and promote global leadership in technology,” the AlgoBharat team added.
Since August, AlgoBharat has been reaching out to eligible individuals and projects in Indore, Surat, Delhi, Trivandrum, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
The program is scheduled to kick off during the Algorand India Summit in Hyderabad on December 7-8 this year, which is expected to bring together developers, entrepreneurs, executives, investors, policymakers and other thought leaders from India.
Algorand has been actively involved in India’s Web3 ecosystem for some time now through its AlgoBharat initiative. In April 2023, AlgoBharat head Anil Kakni told Gadgets 360 that the platform aims to help improve India’s position in nurturing Web3 talent. Later, AlgoBharat also tied up with the Telangana government to help farmers adopt eco-friendly farming practices through blockchain.
